Growing acceptance of artificial intelligence in Germany

Stuttgart, Germany – Artificial intelligence (AI) will be the dominant technology of the next decade. As a result, AI skills will become increasingly important in both our professional and personal lives. This is the broad consensus among the more than 11,000 people surveyed worldwide for this year’s Bosch Tech Compass agree on this. In Germany, 72 percent believe that AI will be the dominant technology of the next decade in their country. Just two years ago, the proportion was only 42 percent. In other words, respondents in Germany now see even greater potential in the technology than respondents in the rest of the world, where the figure is 67 percent.

The same respondents consider AI far more important than any other technology. In Germany, industrial robots are in second place, mentioned by 25 percent of respondents, with 23 percent singling out hydrogen and fuel cells. Worldwide, 5G technology is in second place, mentioned by 32 percent of respondents, while 24 percent mentioned automated driving.

But despite this recognition of AI’s importance in Germany, there still seems to be little interest in the technology. In fact, one in three respondents in Germany stated that they have no intention of acquiring any AI skills. On average across the countries surveyed, the proportion of those who have no wish to educate themselves in AI is only 18 percent; in India, China, and Brazil, this percentage is in single figures.

Artificial intelligence is a boost to innovation.

Dr. Tanja Rueckert, member of the board of management and CDO of Robert Bosch GmbH

“Artificial intelligence is a boost to innovation. It can transform industry worldwide in much the same way as the invention of the computer,” says Dr. Tanja Rueckert, member of the board of management and CDO of Robert Bosch GmbH. “The technology offers great opportunities. It is also a task for society as a whole to make this potential clear and promote acceptance among the general public.”

As many as 34 percent of respondents in Germany agree with the statement that AI will have a positive impact on society. This proportion has increased in recent years; in 2023, for instance, it was still at 26 percent. However, attitudes toward AI in other countries are even more optimistic: in China, as many as 66 percent of respondents expect a positive impact.

Majority favor AI as a standalone school subject

To do justice to the increasing importance of AI, 57 percent of respondents in Germany would welcome it being taught as a standalone school subject. Worldwide, the number of people in favor of this is 63 percent. “Competition for AI specialists is already in full swing around the world and will only increase in the future,” Rueckert says. “Including AI in the school curriculum would be an important step toward ensuring Germany has the AI specialists it will need in the future.”

For 41 percent of respondents in Germany, AI skills are already important in their current jobs; worldwide, 56 percent believe that such skills are very important. France, where the corresponding figure is 38 percent, is the only country where the figure is even lower than in Germany. In India, by contrast, 83 percent need these skills for their work. On the subject of everyday life, 60 percent of respondents in Germany expect that AI skills will be “important” or “very important” in the future. The figure worldwide is 71 percent.

While more than one in two people worldwide already use AI at least occasionally at work, the corresponding figure for Germany is only around 45 percent. In both China and India, 69 percent already use AI in the workplace.

Major interest in new technologies in Germany

One possible reason people in Germany are still comparatively cautious when it comes to AI is that new technologies are generally perceived more positively elsewhere in the world. While 45 percent of respondents in Germany agree on the importance of staying up to date with the latest technological developments and 62 percent state that they like to get to grips with new technologies and want to understand how they work, both these figures are lower than the global average. In India, for example, 74 percent of respondents stated that they want to keep up to date with technological developments and 79 percent of people there say they like to get to grips with new technologies.

“Professionals around the world have to come to terms with artificial intelligence – this will become an essential, complementary skill in professional life,” Rueckert says. “Generative AI will affect how we learn, work, and collaborate – bringing significant change to workflows and processes in companies. That’s why we at Bosch believe it’s important to support our associates on their journey and offer appropriate professional development. We’ve already trained more than 65,000 associates in AI through our own AI Academy. These training courses are available to all associates online. We also explain the advantages to them: generative AI can support them by relieving them of simple, repetitive tasks in their day-to-day work.”

Hardly any AI-related training or education – but also hardly any job worries

However, it would appear that many workers in Germany are not yet receiving any AI-related education: just 18 percent of respondents stated that they had received AI training at work. Worldwide, 28 percent have received such training and education.

Nonetheless, the majority of German respondents have few worries about their jobs: while one-third see AI as a risk to their job, two-thirds believe that AI poses “no” or “probably no” job risk. The corresponding global figure is around 50 percent.

About the study:

For the Bosch Tech Compass, the Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung mbH (GIM) surveyed more than 11,000 people over the age of 18 in seven countries in fall 2024. In Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, 1,000 people per country took part; in Brazil, China, India, and the United States, it was 2,000 people each. Bosch was not named as a client at any point during the survey.